In recent years, specialization of medical practice is subdivided. For example, image diagnosis includes several different works that are: acquisition of a diagnostic image for a patient; (radiological) interpretation of the acquired diagnostic image and writing a report for it; and explanation of a diagnostic result and medical practice plan, based on a result of the report. Each of the works is taken under each specialist's charge (attending doctor or attending engineer or technician). All these works are done to achieve the medical practice for the diagnosis of a corresponding patient. Each of the specialists executes each medical work by referring to appropriate past diagnostic information, and based on information written by another specialist during the medical work of the previous stage. These medical works are performed using, for example, an X-ray CT system acquiring diagnostic images, a medical image pickup unit (MRI system), a medical image storage unit (PACS server) storing the diagnostic images, and a medical image observation unit for an (radiological) interpretation on the diagnostic images.
That is, first of all, a requested doctor (attending doctor) forms an examination (study) order (a request for examination to be done next and which is transmitted to various medical image pickup unit through a network N using an order system), based on an inquiry for each patient, and informs a laboratory technician about it. Then, the informed laboratory technician performs an examination using a predetermined medical image pickup unit, and acquires a medical image about a corresponding patient. A radiologist uses a medical report writing unit to write a radiological report corresponding to the examination order. The requested doctor refers to the written report, decides a result of image diagnosis, performs diagnosis on the image in combination with another information, and then performs medical practice for the patient.
In the medical report writing unit in the recent years, a plurality of operators can write a medical report. For example, a young radiologist (primary operator) first performs an interpretation, writes a temporary storage report. Then, an expert radiologist (secondary operator) checks and corrects the contents of this report as needed, and finally stores the report. The corrected contents, which are made by the secondary operator on the temporarily stored report, can be said as effective information especially for the primary operator or other operators who have referred to the temporarily stored report.
However, the existing medical report writing units do not include a system which certainly and clearly notifies the corrected contents to the participant operators.